Quiet coffeeshop
The couple, who don’t have any children, invested $10,000 into setting up their stall at a coffeeshop in Yishun. “We preferred to start at a place with lower rent so that there wouldn’t be so much pressure on us while we’re still learning how to optimise [our workflow as hawkers],” explains Patrick.
However, the kopitiam, tucked away between HDB blocks and hidden from the main road, is “practically deserted” after lunch hours. “We get a lot of Vietnamese customers visiting from all around the island – but the problem is they can’t find our stall. They will call me and I have to tell them how to get here step-by-step,” adds Phan.
The couple sell around 20 to 30 portions of rice rolls a day. To help make ends meet, they’ve also started selling ban mian – using a recipe from Patrick’s hawker pal – and you tiao to shore up revenue. “Our [banh cuon] wasn’t moving during lunchtime, so we had to sell something else,” he explains, adding that he “didn’t mind” the extra work cooking more dishes, or the chance that customers might get confused by their varied menu.
Adds the former private-hire driver, “[Business] is slow, but we’re okay with taking our time for now. Eventually, we’ll see about moving to a more crowded place when we’re more used to being hawkers.”